Sip and savor It's that Grape Time(s) of year again

Wine 101

Wine 101

June 15, 2008|Elissa Dickey and Kelda J.L. Pharris

Sorry, guys. You've got no excuse to skip Aberdeen's wine-tasting event this year - even if you don't like wine. Because along with more than 200 wines, there will be around 20 different beers, said organizer Ron Lindner. Lindner manages the liquor department for Kessler's, which is sponsoring Grape Times with Johnson Brothers Famous Brands of Sioux Falls, Kessler's wine distributor. The event is 7-10 p.m. Thursday at Parkview Nursery on Melgaard Road. Cost is $50, which is "an absolute steal," says Lindner. That's because the cost also gets you a Spiegelau brand crystal wine glass and a square wine buffet plate that hooks onto the glass, Lindner said. This allows easy carrying of the hors d'oeuvres offered at the event by Kessler's deli. Attendees also receive a program with a description of wines on which they can mark any they would like to order - at a discounted price. There is also live entertainment by Retro Rockets. But the main course, so to speak, is the wine. Wines of all varieties - from chardonnays to cabernets, and everything in between - will be available to sample, ranging in price from $4 to $150, Lindner said. It's about half and half domestic and imported, with wines from as far away as Argentina, Australia, Chile and Greece, he said. Even a South Dakota winery will be represented: Hahn Creek Winery of Crooks. Free transportation home will be provided, Lindner said. And the money goes to a good cause: Proceeds generated will benefit Aberdeen's Safe Harbor domestic violence shelter. Funds will go directly for the needs of the people Safe Harbor helps, Lindner said. Lindner pointed out that all ticket money will go to Safe Harbor. Kessler's pays for the glasses, food and any wine that isn't donated, he said, so there are no expenses taken out. "Not many fundraisers can say that." - Elissa Dickey and Kelda J.L. Pharris American News writers Some featured wines Here is a partial list of brands that will be featured at Grape Times on Thursday:

Robert Mondavi Winery

Louis M. Martini

Raymond Winery

Sebastiani

Kendall Jackson

Beringer

Chalone

Five Rivers Wine 101 For beginners, preferred wines include riesling, a very mild white wine, Lindner said. Cafe zinfandel is also very popular: "You can chill it down, and it tastes just like Hi-C," he said. The more sophisticated wine drinkers end up with cabernet sauvignon, he said, in particular those from Napa Valley. "They will be the most complex," he said. More wine trivia from Lindner:

Fruit forward means the wine is very mild.

If a wine says "reserve" or "estate," you can be assured that it was made from grapes on the winery's property. If not, the grapes might have come from elsewhere.

Wines aren't dry to be offensive. They are meant to clean your palate, to cut the fat or the grease in a hamburger or steak and complement the meat.

In terms of pairing, don't be inhibited by the "red wine, red meat" belief - that's out. "If you like chardonnay, and you're having a steak or a hamburger, go ahead (and drink chardonnay)."